The Best Places to Stay Near Mt Hood: Cooper Spur Mountain Resort

Looking for the best places to stay near Mt Hood? Look no further than Cooper Spur Mountain Resort, a winter wonderland retreat.

After our day of snowboarding at Mt. Hood Meadows we eased our aching bodies into the car and pulled up directions for how to get to our accommodation for the night.

Cooper Spur Mountain Resort is a 20 minute drive from Mt. Hood Meadows, but the time passed quickly as we eagerly looked for the little cabins covered in snow. We were excited to experience one of the best places to stay near Mt Hood.

Cooper Spur is the property that is owned by Mt. Hood Meadows, and one that can best be described as the quintessential winter wonderland retreat. As we pulled up in the snow with the sun refusing to go down just yet, our eyes found a homey office, tavern/restaurant, and cabins in the background all covered in a thick powder of snow.

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We jumped out of the car to check-in and quickly found our lodge room off to the side of the office. We walked in and the warmth enveloped us, nothing ever felt so sweet after a day of falling on my bum in the snow while learning how to snowboard.

Why is Cooper Spur one of the best places to stay near Mt. Hood?

Cooper Spur Mountain Resort is named after the man named David Rose Cooper. The history goes way back to the 1880s when David Rose Cooper helped create the Mount Hood Trail and Wagon Company, in order to build a toll road and run a passenger service to make the mountain more accessible to the public. In 1885, David and his wife Marian created the first hotel on the north side of the mountain. It was Cooper’s idea to bring tourists to the Upper Hood River Valley and up to the mountain.

The present-day resort is a rustic hideaway tucked beneath the snow with nothing but whiteness and pine trees for miles. They have everything from lodge hotel rooms – which is where we were staying – to log cabins and condos. They have hot tubs and a dining room where you can get 10% off dinner for one night of your stay.

Once we put our stuff down, we walked outside just as the sun was finally setting and made our way to the tavern to grab a quick bite to eat.

It was a magical moment walking out in the snow towards the tavern with glittering Christmas lights everywhere, and a pure freshness that can only come with recently fallen snow. I spun around and took it all in, this is not a scene I was used to.

I could already see why this was accommodation was considered one of the best places to stay near Mt Hood.

It almost felt like I was in an English romantic comedy, partaking in a getaway with my new love interest in the most picturesque setting you never actually find in real life. I guess after never living with real seasons or snow, I’m starting to appreciate just how beautiful winter can be.

For our farm-to-table dinner, I had a delicious eggplant parmesan sandwich and Kendall got the burger. We nestled up close to the fire and I sipped on my Belgian stout, feeling the toasty warmth go down, my hunger taken care of and a view of the Christmas lights and snow outside.

Mimi founded The Atlas Heart to create a community of travelers inspired to see the world. The Atlas Heart is a space where you'll find anecdotes on slow travel, craft beer, outdoor adventures, and all the eccentric bits in between that this world has to offer.

About The Atlas Heart

Thanks for stopping by and welcome to The Atlas Heart! My name is Mimi, I’m an adventurous traveler who loves getting outside and getting to know local cultures through slow travel. My goal is to find a daily dose of beauty everywhere I go, to learn with an open mind, and to live with an Atlas Heart.

After living abroad for five years in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Greece, and Portugal I have finally found a home in San Francisco, California. Join me on my journey around the world!